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Head Coach Billy Kennedy
Opening statement
"Really excited to have advanced in the tournament. That's what it's all about. It makes you feel a big part of it when you can win a game and you can kind of follow as the tournament goes. And to play against a Carolina team here in Charlotte is something that every coach and every player would be looking forward to. So we're really excited to be playing against a really good team. We know we're going to have to play really well in order to win."Â
On team's success with depth at point guard
"You know, I think we've played a lot of different lineups and gone through a lot of different things. And just the experience of playing T.J. Starks at the two and then he backed up the one against some really good preseason teams that we've played. He's been in some different situations. He had his first start against Kansas and that helped him get ready for this moment. That's a good point and I think that's one of the reasons why we're here today because he's been through some different things and this team has been through some different things. We've weathered the storm and been pretty resilient through it."Â
On the young point guard matchup against experienced Joel Berry IIÂ
"No question. He's the most experienced, probably best point guard in Roy Williams' system in a long time when you look at the games they've won and what he's done. I saw him in high school. He was a five-star player, he won a state championship. The kid is about winning. He understands how Coach Williams wants to play and it will be a tough matchup. T.J. hasn't surprised me. He can make two great plays. He can make two plays and I'm pulling my hair out. I don't think there's anything that T.J.'s afraid of. That's one thing we like about him. He doesn't lack any confidence. That's a good guy to have in your foxhole when you're going against Carolina in Charlotte. Hopefully he won't get caught up in the transition game and just run up and down with them; that's not something we want to do. We want to wait on our bigs. It will be a new experience for him but I like our chances because of his experiences and what he's been through."
Center Tyler Davis
Can you just take us through the opportunity of playing against the defending national champions in their own backyard and the excitement behind that?Â
"It's a blessing to be able to compete against such a talented team and a great coach but this is what all the work is done for, to be in these opportunities and we are all excited and ready to play."Â
Guard Admon Gilder
Can you just take us through the opportunity of playing against the defending national champions in their own backyard and the excitement behind that?Â
"Like Tyler said, it is a blessing to be playing against a winning organization and each and every one of us are ready to play and it's just going to come down to giving our best effort."
Guard T.J. Starks
I don't know how much you expected that you would be playing during the season when it began but can you tell me a little bit about what you thought was going to happen and how it has evolved into you playing such an important role?
"In the beginning of the season, I knew I was going to contribute to the team but I didn't know that I would be taking on such an important role. So I have just put in a lot of work and I knew my time was going to come eventually so I have been preparing for the moment."Â
Forward Robert Williams
I don't know how much you know about Carolina basketball but they have a much different lineup this year and are not as big as they have been in the past. So how do you feel you match up with them and do you feel that you have an advantage on the inside against them? "Yeah, we definitely feel we have an advantage on the inside against anyone just because of what we do but Carolina is a different matchup and their starting lineup, one through five, will be a difficult task for us. But our coaches have a good game plan in place to help us beat them."Â
Forward D.J. Hogg
On what they know about UNCÂ
"We scouted today. What we know about them, they're a great team, top of the country, top program, always been a top program. It's going to be a great atmosphere, we know that, because it's their state. We're just looking forward to the big stage."Â
On if being in other hostile arenas in SEC play has prepared them for tomorrowÂ
"Oh, most definitely. With the SEC being tough this year, or at least we think so, a lot of SEC teams made it past the first round, made it into March Madness. We think we're ready and prepared for it. We're not really worried about the crowd though, it's just going to be a fun atmosphere to be in."Â
On if seeing the 16-seed upset yesterday gives them confidence to pull the upset tomorrowÂ
"We don't really look at it as an upset because we think we're better than everybody or just as good as everybody. We could play with any team in the country. If people want to call it an upset, we do think we can upset them."Â
On knocking off the defending championshipÂ
"Most definitely, it's always the top dog. They have a target on their back and we're just trying to survive, survive and advance."Â
On scoring earlier in the gameÂ
"It'll be really important. First, of course though, we pride ourselves on defense, but when the offense gets going, it makes the defense easier too because everything is slow, you get confidence and adrenaline and you're just lighter on your toes and the offense flows, too."Â
Center Tonny Trocha-Morelos
On what they're expecting from UNCÂ
"A lot of transition, they score out of transition really quick. They play a really fast pace, so we have to control the tempo in the game."
Guard/Forward Savion Flagg
On the bench rotationÂ
"It's really just when you get in do what you can, just really anything you can do to help our team win. We're really not worried about playing time or anything, whatever we can do to help our team win is what we do."Â
On playing UNC in North CarolinaÂ
"Playing them in North Carolina is going to be big; it'll basically be a home game in the tournament. We just have to stay together. We've won a lot of road games and neutral sites games this year, so it shouldn't be anything different."